I don't understand the OP's point. What does it matter if her partner is a 6'5" professional MMA fighter, or is a 5' elderly woman? It's sparring not a sanctioned bout. Unless I'm missing something here, I think Katriona doesn't know what the purpose of sparring is, or even worse, her sisters instructor doesn't know what sparring is.

Look, I know when I spar, I agree to go at 60%-80% most of the time. It is rare that both people will go all out. However, my sister once told me that Alex (which, I assume is a new boxer as well) had his first spar and his face was bruised for a week and his nose got busted. That does NOT look like 60%.

Yesterday, after reading the replies, I went down to the gym personally and had a little talk with the coach. Apparantly, at his gym, it was "common practice" to do first spars like this because it will "toughen them up and encourage them to work harder". I tried to inquire further and basically got told that he was a former professional kickboxer and boxer, had run a gym for thirteen years now, and knows excatly what he is doing.

I'm sorry if I sound a bit too flustered- I clearly have the "worried soccer mum" syndrome.

Sorry, I see how I came across as attacking you. My point basically was, sparring should be a mutually beneficial training exercise. If they're just roughing up a teenage girl, then maybe that's not the place to be training. When I spar with people who I clearly outmatch, I tend to drop my intensity greatly while encouraging them to up theirs so they can focus on landing clean shots.

It's one thing to give a love tap here and there to keep someone honest, it's another to bruise up some kid because you're bigger than him/her :P

Knowing is not enough, you must apply...
...Willing is not enough you must do ~Bruce Lee

Sorry, I see how I came across as attacking you. My point basically was, sparring should be a mutually beneficial training exercise. If they're just roughing up a teenage girl, then maybe that's not the place to be training. When I spar with people who I clearly outmatch, I tend to drop my intensity greatly while encouraging them to up theirs so they can focus on landing clean shots.

It's one thing to give a love tap here and there to keep someone honest, it's another to bruise up some kid because you're bigger than him/her :P

^^^^this^^^^

Read it again and lock it into memory if you plan on staying with any sport.

Your coach probably put her with him to check her reaction to actual sparring.

Any good training partner will take a persons experience and abilities into account. Good ones drop down to their level and maybe up it a notch to facilitate learning. Given it's her first time sparring, he'll probably just hold her at bay if she spazzes.

Yesterday, after reading the replies, I went down to the gym personally and had a little talk with the coach. Apparantly, at his gym, it was "common practice" to do first spars like this because it will "toughen them up and encourage them to work harder". I tried to inquire further and basically got told that he was a former professional kickboxer and boxer, had run a gym for thirteen years now, and knows excatly what he is doing.

Beating on newbies doesn't encourage them to work harder, it generally makes them not want to do it ever again. Sounds like a douchebag. You should find someplace else for your sister to train.

The first boxing class i attended, within half an hour i was sparring with the club captain. Not hard, about 60%. It was absolutely fine. I get that you don't want your sister to get hurt, but it is a combat sport, and the sooner she starts sparring, the sooner she'll develop into a good boxer.

I feel it'd be a mistake to leave a coach's tutelage simply because he favours a 'throw em in at the less-shallow end' teaching style.

Really hate to sound like a dick, but if your sister is afraid of getting punched in the face, then boxing is probably not the right sport :/ .